| The application of pest control ranges from | | | | the fennel plant)should be added to sulphur in |
| do-it-yourself arrangements toscientific and very | | | | order to discourage mosquitoes. In 13BC the first |
| precise deployment of chemicals and predatory | | | | recorded rat-proof grain store was built by the |
| insects byhighly skilled practitioners. Despite the | | | | Romans. |
| fact that pest control is a world-wideindustry it is | | | | The first known instance where predatory insects |
| still dominated by family or 1-person businesses. | | | | were transported from one area to another |
| Those that needto control pests range from | | | | comes from Arabia around 1000AD where date |
| householders tolarge scale agri-conglomerates who | | | | growers moved cultures of ants from neighboring |
| need to maximise their yield. In betweenthese | | | | mountains to their oasis plantations in orderto |
| two are restaurants, bars, food production | | | | prey on phytophagous ants which attacked date |
| facilities, farmers - in fact,anybody that routinely | | | | palm. |
| deals with food. Pest control can make us | | | | Despite the enlightenment provided by the ancient |
| morecomfortable - but can also save lives. | | | | Chinese, Arabs and Romans,many of their |
| The word pest is subjective as one man's pest | | | | teachings did not pass down though time. |
| may be another man'shelper. For instance, pest A | | | | Certainly in Europeduring the dark ages, methods |
| may be a threat to crop A, and pest B a threat | | | | of pest control were just as likely to be based |
| tocrop B. However, if pest B is a natural predator | | | | onsuperstition and local spiritual rituals as any |
| to pest A, then the farmer whowishes to protect | | | | proven method. Pests were oftenseen as |
| crop A may cultivate and release pest B amongst | | | | workers of evil - especially those that ruined food, |
| his crops. | | | | crops or livestock. |
| There is a theory that without man's intervention | | | | Although there were undoubtedly studies of pests |
| in the food chain throughagriculture, hunting and | | | | during the dark ages, we do nothave any |
| long distance travel there would be no pests. | | | | recorded evidence of this. |
| Thetheory continues that man's intervention (for | | | | It is not until the European renaissance when |
| instance, in cultivating andreleasing pest B, or in | | | | more evidence of pest controlemerges. In 1758 |
| carrying creatures long distances) has upset the | | | | the great Swedish botanist and taxonomist |
| balanceof the food chain, producing instability in | | | | Carolus Linnaeuscatalogued and named many |
| insect and other animal numbers anddistorting | | | | pests. His writings were (and remain) the root |
| their evolution. This instability has led to | | | | andsource of future study into pests (as well as |
| over-population of agivenspecies with the result | | | | plants and animals generally). Atthe same time, |
| that they have become pests. Having said this, if | | | | the agricultural revolution began in Europe and |
| we assume that the very first fly swat was the | | | | heralded a more widespread application of pest |
| firstinstance of pest control - and we know that | | | | control. With the work of Linnaeus and |
| large animals swat flies - it could beargued that | | | | otherscholars and the commercial needs to |
| pest control dates back way before humans | | | | ensure crops and livestock were protected,pest |
| came on the scene. | | | | control became more systemized and spread |
| The first recorded instance of pest control takes | | | | throughout the world. As globaltrade increased, |
| us back to 2500BC when the Sumeriansused | | | | new pesticides were discovered. |
| sulphur to control insects. Then around 1200BC | | | | At this point pest control was carried out by |
| the Chinese, in their greatage of discovery | | | | farmers and some householdersas an everyday |
| towards the end of the Shang Dynasty, were | | | | activity. By the early nineteenth century however, |
| using chemicals tocontrol insects. The Chinese | | | | this changedas studies and writings started to |
| continued to develop ever more | | | | appear that treated pest control as aseparate |
| sophisticatedchemicals and methods of controlling | | | | discipline. Increasing use of intensive and large |
| insects for crops and for people's comfort. | | | | scale farming broughtmatching increases in the |
| No doubt the spread of pest control know-how | | | | intensity and scale of pest scares such as |
| was helped by the advanced state of | | | | thedisastrous potato famine in Ireland in 1840. |
| Chinese writing ability. Although progress in pest | | | | Pest control management was scaledup to meet |
| control methods undoubtedlycontinued, the next | | | | these demands, to the point that dedicated pest |
| significant scrap of evidence does not come until | | | | controllers began toemerge throughout the 20th |
| around | | | | century. |
| 750BC when Homer described the Greek use of | | | | In 1921 the first crop-spraying aeroplane was |
| wood ash spread on land as a form ofpest | | | | employed and in 1962 flying insect control was |
| control. | | | | revolutionized when Insect-o-cutor started selling |
| Around 500BC the Chinese were using mercury | | | | fly killermachines using ultra violet lamps. |
| and arsenic compounds as a meansto control | | | | Pest control is still carried out by farmers and |
| body lice, a common problem throughout history. | | | | householders to this day. |
| In 440BC the Ancient | | | | There are also pest control specialists (sometimes |
| Egyptian's used fishing nets to cover their beds or | | | | called pesties); manyare one-person businesses |
| their homes at night as aprotection from | | | | and others work for large companies. In most |
| mosquitoes | | | | countriesthe pest control industry has been |
| From 300BCthere is evidence of the use of use | | | | dogged by a few bad practitioners who |
| of predatory insects to control pests,although this | | | | havetarnished the reputation for the highly |
| method was almost certainly developed before | | | | professional and responsible majority. |
| this date. The Romansdeveloped pest control | | | | One thing is for certain, from way before the |
| methods and these ideas were spread throughout | | | | Sumerians of 2500BC to us in modern times, |
| theempire. In | | | | there have always been - and probably always will |
| 200BC, Roman censor Cato encouraged the use | | | | be - pests (including some human ones!). Thank |
| of oils as a means of pest controland in 70AD | | | | goodness, therefore, that we have pest |
| Pliny the Elder wrote that galbanum resin (from | | | | controllers. |